John Monks, Jr., 93; Noted Playwright and Screenwriter

John Monks, Jr., a playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter who had lived in Pacific Palisades since 1951, passed away on December 10. He was 93. ”In 1936, Monks and co-author Fred F. Finklehoffe saw their first playwriting effort, ‘Brother Rat,’ open on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre, starring Eddie Albert, Jose Ferrer and Ezra Stone. Produced and directed by the legendary George Abbott, the comedy was about the travails of two ‘brother rats’ (the slang for freshman classmates) at the Virginia Military Institute. ”’The title almost killed us,’ Monks recalled. ‘Some people thought they were going to see a gangster play.’ The show ran for 575 performances (breaking all previous records at the Biltmore) and spawned two road companies that toured the U.S. In 1938 the play was made into a movie and it was on this set that co-stars Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman first met and fell in love. ”Monks left New York to write movies for Hollywood. His first, also co-authored with Finklehoffe, was ‘Strike Up the Band,’ which starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in their second cinematic pairing. Subsequent movies written by Monks and Finklehoffe included ‘Brother Rat and a Baby.’ Monks’ scripts for ‘A House on 92nd Street’ and ’13 Rue Madeleine’ both earned Oscar nominations. He also wrote ‘The West Point Story’ with James Cagney, ‘Knock on Any Door’ with Humphrey Bogart, ‘Where’s Charley’ with Ray Bolger, ‘People Against O’Hara’ with Spencer Tracy, and ‘So This Is Love’ with Kathryn Grayson. Monks wrote, produced and directed ‘No Man Is an Island,’ featuring Jeffrey Hunter. ”When World War II broke out, Monks tried to rejoin the Army but was turned away because of his age (31). Ever determined to serve his country, he signed up for the Marines. While an officer with the Third Marine Regiment, he wrote and directed a feature documentary, ‘We Are the Marines,’ for March of Time Productions. His book ‘A Ribbon and A Star’ (Henry Holt, 1945) was an intense eyewitness account of his regiment’s campaign in the South Pacific island of Bougainville. Monks wrote the book so that his fellow Marines who returned home ‘could be spared the thralldom of answering foolish questions. So that they could toss a copy of their story at the interlocutor and reply, ‘Here, Mac, read it. I want a drink. You know any dames?” The paperback edition was published in 1979. ”A lifelong member of the Players Club in New York, Monks was an affable, adventurous man who loved fly fishing and was an expert fly-tier. At the age of 90 he bought a computer and spent many hours e-mailing friends and family around the world. He was known for his many friendships with younger people that he cultivated in his later years. He was also a generous supporter of Theatre Palisades. ”Monks was preceded in death by his wife, Peg. He is survived by his daughter Sarah Holden, who resides in England with her husband Peter and three children, John, Gregory and Katie. Monks will be cremated and his ashes interred alongside his wife’s in England. ”A celebration of his life will be held this Saturday, January 15, and those interested in attending should call 472-6466 for details.